As you head home from the big box warehouse store loaded with staples like gallon jugs of mayonnaise, you wonder, “Is there any room in my food pantry for all of this stuff?” Fear not. With a good plan, not only will you recover valuable shelf space in the pantry cabinet, you will also become more organized. You’ll know when you are running low on an item and where the items you use the most are located. Here is a simple plan for organizing your food pantry.

Pantry AccessoriesWhether you have a walk-in kitchen pantry or a smaller kitchen pantry, it’s smart to invest in a few simple pantry accessories to keep the items you use the most close at hand. Hardware stores and boutiques that specialize in kitchen gadgetry are loaded with accessories designed for the task.

For example, if you have deep cabinets, pull-out shelves and baskets are a must. Instead of constantly reaching into the depths of your food pantry, simply pull out the shelf or basket and get easy access to everything there. These pull-out shelves (or baskets if you prefer) are easy to install and make your day-to-day pantry excursions simple. While it may be tempting to install a pull-out basket on every shelf, it’s not necessary. A few well-placed pull-outs will make a dramatic difference in the efficiency of your kitchen pantry as a whole. In fact, these pantry accessories are cumbersome if you place them above shoulder level. The idea behind installing pull-out shelves is to make your pantry items easily accessible. High pull-outs have the opposite effect.

For shelves that are about shoulder level, consider using a “lazy Susan.” A lazy Susan is much like a turntable and is generally associated with tabletop displays. Condiments and side dishes are placed on top of a lazy Susan which is placed in the center of the table. A gentle spin yields easy access to the condiment or side dish of choice. This concept translates well when applied to the food pantry. Simply place the lazy Susan on a shelf that is between shoulder and eye level and stock it up with spices, canned goods, or other pantry items.

If you are a Food Network fan, you probably have seen several fine examples of pantry hardware in action. The magnetic spice rack is one such innovation. A metal panel on the inside of the pantry door is the perfect surface for tiny tins of spices. Not only does the magnetic force keep the spices nicely organized in one place, it removes them from the food pantry itself, freeing up valuable shelf space in the process.

You don’t have to use the power of magnets to take advantage of the interior food pantry door. Whether you want to install tiny interior shelves (with little railings to make sure the contents don’t spill out each time you open the door), add a magnetic spice rack, or use the surface area as an unobtrusive space for mounting your family’s wall calendar is up to you. The important thing is to understand that cabinet space is available and that you might as well use it. You could also mount tiny hooks or bars to the inside of the pantry door and hang your pot holders and kitchen towels here.

Dividing the Pantry into Sections

Once you have the structural elements of your pantry cabinet figured out, it’s time to decide how to store all of your kitchen necessities. While its primary purpose is a food pantry, the kitchen pantry plays many roles. Yes, you will be storing canned and dry goods here but the area also serves as an emergency food pantry in times of disaster, a storage area for plastic bags, paper plates, and foil, and a place where you store everything else from cookbooks to cleaning supplies.

With the varying uses in mind, organizing your food pantry boils down to groupings. First, set aside a space in the food pantry for your emergency food supplies such as bottled water and canned goods. Use a big plastic bin and fill it with your emergency rations and related items such as a manual can opener, lighter, candles, flashlight, etc.

Next, figure out the other major groupings. While there are four main food groups, your food pantry will tell a different story. You will have cereals, canned goods, spices, oils and vinegars, snack foods, boxed side dishes, staples like rice, flour, and noodles, paper goods, coffee and tea, cold medications, baby food, baking supplies, foil and other wrappings, and food items including potatos and onions. In addition to the food, you’ll also need to store items like cookbooks, kitchen gadgets, and cleaning supplies.

Empty your food pantry and create a list of groupings that match your lifestyle. This is an imporant step because every household has different priorities. Number your list with number one being the most often accessed group of the bunch. Your number one grouping should be placed in the most accessible shelf such as the shelf that is shoulder high.

For example, if you bake and decorate cookies regularly, you will want all of your baking supplies within easy reach. On the other hand, if you only bake cookies during the Christmas season, you may want to tuck all of those cookie cutters and sprinkles in the back of a bottom shelf. Likewise, store the items you use the least on the hard-to-reach top and bottom shelves.

Go through your list and think about which groups are most often used. Canned goods should be nearby, preferably with tomato products stacked together, soups grouped with each other, and side dishes such as canned beans and vegetables in another subgroup. Breakfast items like cereal, oatmeal, and granola bars should be near each other while meal time staples such as rice, noodles, and stuffing mix should occupy their own space.

Alternative Methods for Organizing Your Pantry

If you find yourself overwhelmed, use the grocery store as your model. Notice how the breads are always in their own aisle and how the snack section has everything from dried fruits to peanuts to potato chips? Take your cue from the store’s layout. Most major stores offer store maps with detailed descriptions of the types of foods found in each aisle. Pick up a copy of your favorite store’s layout and mirror it at home in your food pantry.

By mirroring your favorite store, you can also make unloading groceries a breeze. Place your foods at the checkout station according to aisle or grouping. If you can help with bagging the groceries, ensure that like goods are bagged together. For example, soup cans in one bag; snack foods in another. When setting food on the conveyer, put a little space between groupings and let the cashier know that you would like each grouping bagged separately.

Finally, consider the various members of your family and their needs. If your spouse is tall and the only one in the family who likes instant noodle cups, store those on one of the higher shelves and reserve the lower shelves for the smaller members of the family who will appreciate being able to reach their personal favorites.

By organizing your food pantry, you’ll have a consistent location for each type of item you bring home. With consistency comes familiarity, which means that soon everyone in the family will know where to find their favorite items.

What Is Your Eating Style?Everyone has to eat, but not everyone eats the same way. Some people consider a piece of cheese and a handful of raisins while standing at the sink a meal, while others opt for a sit down dinner complete with napkins. You may think you're eating healthy, but you may not notice everything that passes through your lips. What is your eating style?